I've tried multiple times to get through this novel and it never seemed to grab me unfortunately. I found the mc to be very vanilla for my tastes, but then again, everyone likes something different. By the end I was skim reading to get through it. I'm sure most lovers of folklore would enjoy, it's just wasnt my cup of tea

This was such a solid, ensnaring read. I loved the writing style and although I had issues with the way the story ended, I would read more by the author.

Cute fairy/tale like story about a girl named Vasilisa which in Greek means queen!
I am surprised this one does not have more reviews as it was quite a memorable books with lots of action!

In Julie Mathison's story, 13 year old Vasilisa is looking for her missing father who has been presumed to be dead.
An ogre is courting Vasilisa's mother and Vasilisa meets Ivan and they go off on adventures. They go adventuring in Old Russia using the old fairy tales they have heard to guide them through their search for her father and finding a way to help her sick grandmother.
This is a weaving of two worlds, folklore and life and it makes and engaging and interesting story.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

A fairytalesque story immersed in Russian folklore. For fans of Nevertell

I am still not sure why it took me so long to read and finish this book.

Apart from its absolutely beautiful cover that indicates that indeed, there is a Baba Yaga retelling inside, the story itself is very well told and considering that not only the historical world of a 1920 Pennsylvania small industrialised town has got to be built, but also the whole world of Old Rus has to be introduced I found the author has done a really good job.

I loved how she wove the magic in with elements of magical realism and made the transition from one world to the other so easy.

And then there is Vasilisa. I loved her as a character and the development she went through in this book from lonely Russian immigration girl to a young woman who knows what she wants and finds ways to claim her heart's desire.

I have a read a couple of Baba Yaga retellings, but only this one introduced me to the wider world of Russian myths and legends, and I found the countryside all of a sudden quite populated with more and more interesting and intriguing characters that I would love to read more about.

Vasilisa is at the same time a retelling with Baba Yaga, a reflection on human relationships and a story about growing up and finding out and claiming what works for you.

I loved it.

Reading this was like a hug in a book. It felt just like reading a fairytale.

The writing is so beautiful and heartfelt. It was easy to feel the authors love for this book.
The characters were so well written and lovable, they were a dream to learn about

This is an interesting story. On one hand it is a story of it's own sequence. It followed a plot that was all it's own. Yet, then on the other hand you can definitely see some parallel between this book and the Russian folk tale of Vasilisa and Baba Yaga.
It starts out slow. You try to puzzle out when things inside the story are supposed to pick up. When will the real adventure start? Then finally, after its slow burn of a beginning, you get to some vestiges of action. Something is not quite right with Mr. Goladyn. Evelyn is acting strangely, and why are Babka's handkerchiefs so important? Old Rus tales and magic are at play here and Vasilisa only has to believe and listen.
I thought that the story was sound and interesting to follow. The twists and turns were interesting to follow. And I loved the incorporation of other Russian mythological creatures. It adds a new layer and development to the adventure into Old Rus. With that being said, there were a few places that were a little confusing. Namely, the areas surrounding Evelyn's time in Old Rus. But other than her transformation and perspective, it was a good book.
I would recommend this book to a child that has an interest in early American history and imaginative works of fiction. Not to mention an interest in old Russian folk tales.

In 1919, Vasilisa, her mother and her Babka, also named Vasilisa, live among the Russian immigrants in Edenfall PA, where they wait the return of Vasilisa's father from World War I. At bedtime Babka shares with Vasilisa the stories of Old Rus, an underground world filled with magic, witches, and ogres. When Babka starts to weaken in mind and body, and her mother is pressured into marriage by Mr.Goladyen, a rich Russian immigrant, Vasilisa is suspicious and is determined to save her family and she finds comfort and strength in the tales. She is joined by fourteen year old Ivan, who has been tracking Mr Goladyen for purposes of revenge. He was told the same stories as Vasilisa, and as they begin their magical adventure, the stories become reality, with the worlds of Edenfall and Old Rus merging through Koschel the Deathless, three Baba Yaga sisters, and Vasilisa the Brave, the hero of the story. The author's use of language in describing the settings and dialogue is exceptional. As an elementary librarian I had picture books of this folktale, but not a chapter book that integrated her into a historical setting. I highly recommend for middle school and above.

loved the use of the Russian fairy tales, it was a great story with fun characters. I really enjoyed going on this journey.

This was a very sweet retelling of Baba Yaga! It was a very short read! This is perfect for fans of fairytales! I recommend this for fans of Jessica George!

This was cute and quick, but it is all that was, nothing more. I couldn't really get completely invested here, nor did I want to read more, but it was okay.

This was a cute and quirky read, really enjoyed the twists, tests and turns. A wonderfully different fairy tale.

I love the Baba Yaga stories that I've found! Russian fairytales (and some others) are sometimes hard to come by unless actively sought. I like any opportunity to introduce my kids and teens to stories from other cultures they might not be exposed to in my library. This story is so well written and certainly entertaining enough for teens and other YA's to enjoy. Great story with a strong young woman facing extraordinary forces and difficulties to protect her family.

Vasilisa has grown up with stories of Baba Yaga but she never imagined she would be on a quest to find her. But she must in order to find her father, save her mother from an ogre, and help her grandmother. With the help of Ivan, who has his own score to settle with the ogre, Vasilisa enters Old Rus in search of answers.

I am not really an expert when it comes to Baba Yaga stories. This one was fine, if not my own personal favorite.

This just wasn't for me. I've kind of fallen out of love with the fairytale-esque stories and Vasilisa gave me weird historical fiction vibes. I wasn't transported to another world like I had hoped and I wish I was. I just didn't like this, and I struggled to get through to the end.

3 stars

This book was cute and easy to read. I just didn't connect with it fully.

What I Liked

I really enjoyed this book when I was reading it, but I didn't find myself wanting to read it. If that makes any sense. It was a quick easy read, a well written fairytale retelling for middle grade readers. There were some darker themes with this read which may or may not connect with some readers. For me, this was a very enjoyable part of the story.

What I did not like

At the end of the day, I just didn't connect with this story fully. There was nothing particularly dissatisfying about this story. I enjoyed it.

In Conclusion
An easy retelling of old Russian folklore that is enjoyable for middle grade and up.

I gad na issue with the file so i may have read nit the full script. But what i read was not a very good representation of Slavic legends. The writing style was not to my liking either..

This is a very well written and imaginative book, drawing deeply on Russian fairy tales. I'd recommend it for a young middle grade audience.

The traditional story of Vasilisa and the witch in the woods with her house on chicken legs is probably one of the spookiest old tales to me, which is why I was quick to grab up this book. I was able to read through the book relatively quickly because it wasn't long and it was able to hold my attention fairly well. Our main character, Vasilisa, is 13 years old and finds out the hard way that all sorts of fantastical creatures--witches and ogres, for example--are real. The author's use of wisdom and riddles to solve problems at the end was most satisfying. I found Ivan to be a decent supporting character.